


Year Four: A Turning Point

by timerise



Series: THE TREE [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Harry Potter - Freeform, Hogwarts, M/M, Marauders, Pining, jily, marauder era, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-11-13 14:08:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18033179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timerise/pseuds/timerise
Summary: 1. wow people are racist sometimes a little2. it's gay now





	Year Four: A Turning Point

In his defense, he tried his best to be good over the summer. But the second he returned home and his parents spotted the still healing wound on his arm, a war broke out. Regulus bore a small scar over his eyebrow where a curse rebounded, proving one thing, once and for all. He was the  _ only  _ person in his family who wasn’t a Death-Eater.

So, he wrote to Andromeda and received various presents. Such as: the leather jacket, which his mother absolutely hated since it ruined his ‘image’, and the idea not to cut his hair mockingly short, which completely upset Regulus.

When he walked into the small train compartment, Lily raised an eyebrow in a silent question and James clapped his hands together. Sirius beamed. “I’m one step away from being disowned!”

James raised his hand for a high-five. “You look great, man!”

“Regulus is  _ very  _ pissed, by the way, but from this moment onwards, I’m ignoring him. For the most part. He’s like a kicked puppy when he’s sad, and I don’t know how to handle that.” Sirius plopped down next to Remus and immediately kicked up his feet. He noted the distance between him and Lily, and he tried desperately to ignore the hope rising in his stomach.

As if hearing his thoughts, James leaned over to whisper to him. “Today is a good day. Apparently those two broke up over the summer. On good terms though, so I don’t feel guilty for being happy.”

“Great. You going to go for it? I heard they’re hosting a winter ball.” Sirius winked at him.

James shrugged. “Maybe not this year. But she’s going to like me better, one way or another.”

“I think you should make a move. Life’s short, y’know?” A cocky smile crossed his face. “Marlene actually met my parents this summer. Completely ticked them off, but it was worth it. She’s a pureblood, so they couldn’t say anything to her face.”

A laugh escaped James. “That’s so good. So good, man.”

“I can’t wait ‘til I’m seventeen. Then, I can go get an apartment or something.” Sirius raised his voice. “Remus is pretty much going to pay the rent, though, when he’s rich and famous as an archaeologist.”

Remus didn’t look up from his book, even though he changed his angle at the mention of his name.

James frowned. “Are you two still off? I thought for sure that snog session would have set you right.”

“You wouldn’t understand. You haven’t kissed anyone, James,” Lily commented, finally tearing her gaze from the window.

James scoffed. “You don’t know that!”

“But you haven’t…” Peter started before a sharp look from James silenced him.

“Just because Sirius has a more fruitful  _ kissing experience  _ than I, doesn’t mean I don’t know!”

“Literally anybody in this room has a more ‘fruitful’ kissing experience than you. One kiss beats none,” Sirius drawled.

James gasped. “Lily? Peter?” He shook his head incredulously. “That is beyond me.”

“Just because I don’t spend my whole time at  _ Hogwarts  _ kissing random guys doesn’t mean I don’t at home during the summer,” huffed Lily. “I have depth, y’know.” 

Remus looked up from his book, grinning. “Oh, sure. Before or after our long, romantic affair?”

“Okay, rude. And second of all, after. Petunia brought home a boy this summer, and I just stole him away.” Lily crossed her arms. 

Sirius tried to hide a laugh. “Stole him or scared him?”

“It was a little bit of both, but he definitely tried to kiss me.” She sighed. “It was really awkward. He leaned in, I kneed him in the balls… Fruitful kissing experiences, James.”

James laughed aloud at that. “You’re right. My bad.”

-

Sirius skipped the Sorting Hat ceremony this year. He didn’t really have that great of a reason, but he didn’t feel like hearing about how  _ great  _ this year would be while all of the Slytherins glared daggers into his back. So he made up some lie about feeling sick and abandoned James, Peter, and Remus.

Besides, he had a suspicion about Remus that he had to figure out. 

He bounded up the stairs to the dorm room, taking in the piles of stuff they have neatly stacked. This’ll be the cleanest the dorm is all year. He can’t even make out James’ excessive amounts of hair products which he used once a year to ‘tame’ his year. But he wasn’t here to roast James. He’d do that to James’ face.

He was here to snoop through Remus’s stuff. Because he could have  _ sworn  _ Remus’s owl swung by outside his window, but when Sirius went to intercept it, his mom had already taken it. So she must have written a return letter. Right? He didn’t just think Sirius ignored him, right?

Throwing off the top of his chest, Sirius started tossing Remus’s clothing out until he reached the secret stash of books and papers. It doesn’t take long to find the Black stamp. They were ridiculously ornate in comparison to everything else Remus had.

Then, his heart fell as he read. 

_ Lupin. _

_ I was thinking, the other day. Your last name is quite ironic, isn’t it? How Lupis is Latin for moon. It must be fate, you were born to be scum.  _

_ I take no pleasure in writing to you, but you must know for our agreement to continue. Sirius, despite his frivolous choices, is still a member of our family. Additionally, I am not blind to all of the times you have spoken to him. I thought we were clear. _

_ I so desperately want to let everyone know about your lycanthropy, to see all your friends abandon you for fear of infection or reputation staining. If word got around, can you imagine how the students would treat your friends? Especially Sirius. He’s your favorite, of course. No one would ever speak to him. He is friends with a werewolf after all. _

_ You don’t want this. Despite being of inferior blood and an abomination to humanity, you’re not stupid. I want to hear Sirius complaining to me by the end of the first week of how cruel you’ve been to him. _

_ R.A.B. _

Sirius read it, hands starting to shake. He barely even noticed when the door to the dorm crept open. Instead, he shoved the letter into his jacket and leant back against the now empty chest. 

Remus walked in without a word, staring at his things spread around the room. “Why… those are my things.”

“I got mixed up,” he deadpanned.

Remus nodded, swallowing thickly. He went to look through his things then, pulling out his quill. “Erm, would you mind to put my things away when you’re done? Thanks. And… don’t open any mail if you find any. It’s… from my… mom.” 

“Are your parents divorced? Last I checked, her last name didn’t start with a B,” he muttered underneath his breath.

Remus froze. “Uh… She has two middle names.”

Sirius held up his hand. “Stop. Did you know I used to have a signet ring with my family’s crest on it? All the heirs get one, and it was, like, my favorite thing growing up. I showed  _ everyone  _ it.”

Sirius watched the color drain from Remus’s face. “You didn’t open it, did you?”

“You know me. Of course I opened it.” He sighed and buried his head in his hands. “How long?”

Remus took a deep breath. “The day after our first moon together as Animagi.”

“So that’s why you were pissed at me. Because of Regulus.” He inhaled shakily. It felt as if a weight settled on his throat, and if he kept trying to breathe, he’d explode. So… He just talked. “God  _ damn it.  _ He was the only one who I thought was still on my side. I thought… Damn.”

Remus took a small step closer. “You must know now though, I was never angry at you! I just- he needed you to think I was. You-you understand.”

“I  _ don’t.  _ Why didn’t you just, I dunno,  _ tell me?  _ I could have pretended. I could have…” Sirius looked up, making eye contact with Remus. “He’s my  _ brother,  _ Rem.”

Remus shook his head. “I love you Sirius, but you’re insufferable sometimes. Knowing you, if I’d told you, you would have walked right up to him and tried to talk him out of it. It wouldn’t have worked, I knew, I just had to let him…”

“I  _ hate  _ this. I don’t know what to do.” And for the first time, he couldn’t look to Remus to know what to do. Everyone knew Sirius was a mess, but Remus always had his life in order. Everything just made sense when he was with Remus, and now it… Didn’t.

Remus sat on the bed across from him. “As far as I can see, we have to keep pretending. Rather, I have to keep, and you need to start. If he finds out you know, our whole group will be ruined.”

“I don’t think people are that cruel,” Sirius started before pausing. “No, you’re right. They’d kick you out of Hogwarts.”

Remus nodded grimly. “I have to graduate if I want to live past eighteen.”

“I just… Regulus did this. I could see Bella or Cissy or… Merlin, I could even see Andromeda do it, and she ran off with a mud- muggleborn.” Sirius flinched as he caught himself. He spent way too much time with his family. “But he wasn’t supposed to grow up like that.”

Remus looked Sirius in the eye. “There was nothing you could have done. People, more often than not, shape to fit their environment.”

“I didn’t. It would have been a lot easier if I did.” A wry smile twisted on his lips. Imagine that, being a Slytherin.

Seemingly without thought, Remus grabbed his hand. “Don’t talk like that. I’m glad you didn’t. You’re a really good person. Genuinely good. That’s not a title most people can claim.”

“You didn’t deserve this. I won’t say anything to Regulus, but damn, Remus. You could have at least told Peter or someone. Peter can keep a secret better than me or James.” James never picked sides between Remus or Sirius either, but it would have helped if Remus wasn’t the only one in on the conflict.

Remus shook his head. “You guys already help me so much with the moon, I couldn’t further burden any of you.” Sirius felt Remus’s thumb brushing over his knuckles. He didn’t know if he was comforting Sirius or himself.

“You’re telling James  _ and  _ Peter.” He tightened his grip on Remus’s hand. “And I’ll figure out something to handle Regulus. He can’t be all bad. Maybe… I don’t know. I’ll give him my title as heir to the House of Black. I’ll get myself disowned fully, or  _ something.” _

“Sirius, stop. You’re not getting yourself disowned because of me. I won’t lie, it will probably happen eventually, but you should at least wait until you can sustain yourself.”

“I’ll find a way for you to get out of this. He doesn’t get to have any hold of you,” insisted Sirius.

Remus bit his lip. “But he  _ knows,  _ Sirius. He could ruin us-you.” Remus stuttered sadly.

“I’m willing to be ruined. How bad can it be?” He offered a shaky smile right as James and Peter burst in. Peter took one look at the room and fled out of the room, not willing to get involved with the fight.

Remus forgot to let go of Sirius’s hand. “Oh! James-”  
“Are you guys fixed now?” James interrupted, gesturing at their hands.

Sirius let out a soft laugh. “It’s a little more complicated than that.”

Remus gave him a subtle squeeze before letting go and standing up. “Yeah, for sure. Beyond your level anyways.”

James huffed indignantly. “What’s that supposed to mean? No, nevermind. I’m glad you’re talking again anyways. Sirius, promise mate, he never told me why he was mad. Bugger kept his lips sealed.”

“I know.” Sirius cast a meaningful glance towards Remus before clearing his throat. “So, James, how’s the Quidditch team this year? Didn’t the Prewett twins graduate?”

James rambled on then, immediately some mixture of infuriated and excited. Remus shot Sirius a thumbs up and slipped out of the room.

Halfway through his rant, Sirius cleared his throat. “I need your help with something.”

James grinned. “For sure! What’s up? Thinking about trying out for Quidditch?”

“We both know that’s  _ your  _ thing, not mine. No, it’s… I thought about it over the summer, but I’m not sure if it’ll work.” Sirius cast a wary glance towards the door, but it showed no sign of opening. “I want to make a map of Hogwarts, so we can keep track of everyone inside it.  _ Especially  _ Snivellus and my brother.”

James’s eyes widened. “Like a tracking map?”

“We’d never get caught off guard again.” Sirius let a sly smile cross his face. “So? You in?”

A slow smile spread across James’s face. “Definitely.” 


End file.
